2023 ASC Softball Championship Central

BELTON, Texas – East Texas Baptist softball team earned its 11th American Southwest Conference Championship title with a three-run eighth inning to defeat host Mary Hardin-Baylor, 3-2, at Dee Dillon Field on Saturday (May 13). The program owns the most titles in conference history with other titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 2004, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021.
 
The Tigers (38-5) earned the ASC’s automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament, which will be announced on Monday (May 15) at 12:00 p.m. on NCAA.com.
 
Runs were at a premium in both games on Saturday. Mary Hardin-Baylor completed a no-hitter in a 1-0 victory to advance to the championship round over McMurry. In a battle of nationally top 15 teams, UMHB and East Texas Baptist exchanged zeros through seven innings.
 
Playing as the visiting team in the away game, Mary Hardin-Baylor broke through in the eighth inning. Julia Crofut delivered the huge hit with a double to left field that scored Elissa Elliott. Kaitlin Powers pinch ran for Crofut and would score from third on a hit by Lexi Harris on a 3-2 pitch.
 
The Tigers started the bottom of the eighth with a single by top of the order hitter Tristen Maddox. With one out and a runner on second, Delanie Loya walked to load the bases. Tauryn Cummings registered her first hit of the game in four at bats, but it was the most impactful as she laced a ball into the left center field gap that reached the wall. Her double cleared the bases and lifted ETBU to the title after a 3-0 tournament.
 
Ashley Croft earned the win to improve to 19-1 and was 2-0 in this tournament. She logged eight innings and scattered five hits while not allowing a run. She had one strikeout and no walks. Her first hit allowed was in the fifth and she faced two over the minimum through regulation.
 
Croft was named the Most Outstanding Player in the tournament after her contributions in the circle and hitting. She was one-of-two players with a 2-for-4 game. ETBU tallied eight hits.
 
UMHB had its starting pitcher Kami Flores matching Croft pitch by pitch throughout the game. She worked around eight hits and two walks, while recording a strikeout in 7.1 innings. Flores stranded the bases loaded with no outs in the first inning, and her defense was huge including a highlight play that cut the runner down at home on a double steal attempt in the third. The Cru was led offensively by Lexi Harris with a 2-for-3.
 
In the game leading up to this matchup was an elimination game between McMurry and UMHB. The Cru had the lone two hits with the eventual game winner from Taylor Holman in the sixth inning. It was her second in two straight games of the tournament. Grason Long was masterful with a complete-game no-hitter. She fanned five and was one hit by pitch away from a perfect game. This was the first no-hitter thrown in the ASC Softball Championship Tournament since May 3, 2019, by East Texas Baptist Beatriz Lara.
 
McMurry had Jenna Lewis pitching her third game of the tournament and she also went the distance. She yielded two hits with one blemish and fanned four with no walks. The time of the game was 1 hour and 20 minutes.
 
East Texas Baptist and Mary Hardin-Baylor carried that magical pitching and defense into the championship bracket. It was the only game to go extra innings in the tournament. This is the fifth unbeaten ASC Championship title run in a row for the Tigers.